Christmas in Panem
by alexajaye
Summary: Katniss Everdeen has Christmas spirit. And a special visitor makes her realize exactly what she's been missing. Of course a nudge from her friends won't hurt either. Sort of Modern AU. Everlark, of course. Just a lot of Christmas Fluff.
1. Christmas Spirit

_**Just in time for Christmas! I know. I really need to be updating my other story, and I promise I will. But for the first time, I've been inspired to write a little Christmas story with my favorite characters. I hope you like it!**_

 _ **This will be a two-shot, something I've never written before, so I hope I do okay.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Christmas Spirit**_

The first sign of Christmas is the stock crews pulling the decorations out of boxes from all over the shopping center where I work. Capitol Park Mall is the largest is Panem and boasts the nicest staff in the area, and when it's time for the holidays, we're expected to be twice as chipper than usual. It's the chipper part I always have a problem with.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. The music, the decorations, the presents, and most importantly, the time off I get to be with my family and friends. It all makes grinning and bearing it easier when I'm not in the mood to handle disgruntled customers on a rampage. We don't get a lot of those at Capitol Books, but I've had my fair share when the close strikes midnight on November 1.

Yes, we decorate for Christmas two months early. Some stores outside of Capitol Park don't even wait for midnight. They have their boxes of tinsel and lights ready to go as soon as they close the night before. This is something I think is overdoing it a little, but it's not like there's a better time to do it. When the mall closes for the night, it's the only time when customers won't be demanding time from stocking the shelves.

I'm one of the few employees in Capitol Books who don't take other holidays off besides Thanksgiving and Christmas, for the sole purpose of taking those days off. And I'm always the first in line to sign up when I can. The downside of that is that I'm expected back to work bright and early the day after Christmas to make up for it. Our sale the day after Christmas is the biggest of the year, and I've been working it for three years now. It's a nightmare.

"You better get that scowl off your face, brainless," Johanna Mason chides as we work the Customer Service desk. "Our fearless leader is supposed to visit today."

I sigh when she says this, trying to force a smile on my face. We have two managers who operate the store through its day to day happenings, but twice a year, in June and December, the store's owner come to visit us and see how we're doing.

It's just December 1 today. He doesn't usually come until closer to Christmas. Our managers, Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket, are probably two of the most mismatched people in the entire history of Capitol Park, but somehow, we're able to pull in some of the highest sales in the mall every year at this time. Johanna says it's because someone in the store is bribing people to come in and shop here. She's always thinking there are ulterior motives behind a lot of the good stuff happening here. We've been working together for all three of the years I've been here. I guess you could say I'm accustomed to her by now.

"What about the scowl on your face?" I counter to her warning.

"I'm not as pretty as you," she explains.

Pursing my lips, I go back to categorizing the books in front of me, not agreeing and disagreeing, but I make a mental note to remind her of this later.

"Ma'am?"

The tiny voice draws me around to a girl on the other side of the counter. She looks about nine, with brown curly hair, big brown eyes and an innocent smile on her dark brown face.

"Can you help me and my brother?"

The smile on my own face appears more naturally than usual. "Of course I can, honey. What do you need help with today?"

"We're looking for a book in the children's section, but we can't find it."

"What book are you looking for?"

"Beautiful Bears in Winter."

I recognize the name immediately, because it's the newest book my best friend Gale's mother Hazelle has released. I also know we should have an entire stand of the latest book in the special offers section of the store.

"Well, I just happen to know we have a brand new stock of that book," I say, still smiling. "It's just over that way. Let's go collect your brother first."

She laughs softly as I leave customer service desk, and I step around to where she is.

"What's your name, sweetie?" I ask gently.

"Rue."

"Well, Rue, it's nice to meet you. I'm Katniss."

I reach for her hand, and she slips hers into mine as we move toward the children's section.

As our store is one of the largest in the mall, Rue and I have to weave through a bit before we reach the Children's section. We haven't reached our peak of the day quite yet, but this part of the store is almost always busy because a lot of parents are able to leave their kids with us while they do their shopping. This is especially true during the holidays. Our attendant back here, Annie Cresta, is really good with most of the kids and has a story time hour set aside just after lunch.

"So how long have you been reading Hazelle Hawthorne's books?" I ask Rue as we walk.

"Only about a year," she admits, then adds, "but as soon as I read the first one in the library, we went out and bought every book there was. This will be the first one I've read when it's come out."

"I like do that too," I say and smile at her as she smiles up at me.

The Children's section is the only part of the store completely laden with garland, tinsel and fake snow that compliments the Christmas music playing of the PA system. It's also the only part that was devoid of decorations one night and gleaming with red and green the very next morning. This year, the boys doing the trimming seem to have gone all out.

"So did your brother buy you the books for Christmas last year?" I ask Rue, entering the Children's section and following her to the young reader shelves.

"Yeah, both my brothers did, and my parents chipped in. There he is," she exclaims and pulls me closer.

We miss a kid here and a store associate dressed as an elf before arriving at Rue's destination, where she shouts cheerfully.

"I found a lady to help us!"

Currently leaned over the shelves in deep thought, a stocky, casually dressed, blond haired, blue-eyed young man looks over at us. For a split second, I'm speechless.

Then Rue speaks again.

"This is Katniss," she tells him, giggling. Then she looks up at me. "This is my brother, Peeta."

His smile is warm as he straightens and extends his hand to me. "Katniss," he says and nods. "It's nice to meet you."

I meet him halfway, surprised by the strength in his hand. "It's very nice to meet you too, Peeta."

We stand there with our hands together for probably a couple seconds before Rue shakes his arm. "So Katniss knows where they have more books," she says, and we both look at her.

It takes me another second to compose myself. "Yes, I do," I agree and look at Peeta again. "It's just this way."

Blood blooms across my cheeks as I blush, but I try not to look too embarrassed even if it's pretty much impossible as this point. I lead Rue and Peeta to the middle of the store where most of our special offers are set up, and her face lights up as soon as we're within sight of the table where Hazelle's book is waiting. Rue has the book in her little hands almost as soon as we arrived, flipping it open and then turning it over to look at the back cover.

"It's so pretty," she giggles. She looks at me, even happier now that she's found what she wants. "Thank you, Katniss."

Her happy laughter makes me smile even more. "You're very welcome, Rue. It was a pleasure to meet you both."

She hugs the book to her, obviously content, and I happen to lift me eyes from her just in time to see Peeta watching me. After probably a minute, I clear my throat.

"So are you ready to check out?" I ask, adding, "Or do you have more shopping to do in the rest of the mall?"

Rue nudges Peeta, and he looks at her. "No, we're actually finished for the day," he says but doesn't sound very convincing anymore.

"Well, if you'll follow me," I prompt, "I can help you with that too."

I move first, toward the Customer Service desk where Johanna is still cataloguing, and Rue follows me closely with Peeta behind her.

I've never reacted like this with a guy before, not even Gale and Finnick Odair who are the only two guys I know personally. Gale has been my best friend since I was twelve, and he's more like a brother to me than anything. Finnick teased me relentlessly when I started working at the mall, but because he was already dating Annie, he just teased me. The few times we've had scares at the mall, Finnick has been the one to make sure we're all safe, even if Johanna always contends that she doesn't need anyone to keep her safe. He's known her a while too.

But Peeta is just . . . different.

And it's almost like he senses the same thing with me. It's just strange.

Johanna smirks as I step up behind the counter, but she doesn't say anything as I take Rue's book and ring it up.

"With the special offer we're having this week, your total is only 15.67," I announce automatically.

Peeta hands over a shiny black Capitol Union Bank card with his name embossed on the front, and I only glance at his last name, sliding the card and waiting for it to clear to hand it back. He pockets it smoothly and just glances at me as the receipt comes up for him to sign. His messy scrawl fills the line at the bottom of the paper, and I pull out one of our special cloth bags for Rue's book to hand it to her.

"And there's your book, young lady," I say with my biggest smile. "Enjoy it."

"I will," she assures me. "Thank you, Katniss."

I nod as she wraps her arm around Peeta, and he takes her under his arm with a wave back at me.

I don't realize that I'm grinning like an idiot until Johanna finally speaks.

"So did you get his phone number?" she asks, and it doesn't sound like she's joking.

Trying to ignore her, I type in the last purchase to my log, only slightly grinning now but feeling warm like I'm still blushing.

She scoffs and steps over to my side, taking over my keyboard and easily pulling up Peeta's phone number.

"I'm not writing that down," I tell her, forcing my face into a frown.

She grabs a pen and a piece of paper, doing it herself. "I never said you would," she counters.

After my trip to the Children's section, my day stays uneventful, even when Effie rushes passed me from the resale books to the new releases with her eyes bulging out like a clown. I'm going about my business when Haymitch walks back from the new releases to the coffee shop attached to the store with a white-haired, short man in a three-piece suit. He only nods to me, and the man with him glances but doesn't acknowledge me.

This appears to be the only view I get, because when we close at ten, Johanna finds me in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section with a knowing smile on her face.

"Well, you were definitely all Snow could talk about on his way out," she muses with a gleam in her light brown eyes.

"Who?"

"The owner, brainless," she groans. "Haymitch told him all about you and how great you are with the customers. Especially that pair this morning. Looks like somebody's going to be our new staff manager soon."

Stunned, I stand there silent until she loops her arm through mine and tugs me from the book shelves.

"We're celebrating," she declares. "Coffee's on me."

I also appear to be the last person to the party, as we approach the coffee shop in the midst on shut down with only three people populating a table up front.

Annie has wrangled Finnick from the men's clothing store down the main causeway of the mall, and Gale has come in for his usual end-of-the-day brew from the animal reserve nearby.

Johanna sits me down and disappears behind the counter, leaving me to the trio already halfway through their cups.

"Drink up, Annie," Finnick urges and nudges the sugar dish across to me. "Katniss is going to throw back her first cup as soon as it gets here."

He winks his sea-green eyes at me and flips his curly bronze hair from his face. Despite his flirting having little to no effect on me, he's always trying to impress me. He worked in the book store when I first started, but probably six months after that, he transferred to the men's clothing store because they needed a manager. I really think it's because Haymitch got sick of watching Finnick and Annie canoodling in the farthest corner of the book store.

While I'm waiting for my coffee, I tug the pins keeping my own black hair in a messy bun atop my head. Immediately, the pressure on my scalp is gone, almost tingling. It's only when I'm working that my hair is in a bun. Normally, I braid it or let it fly. I showed up to work with the braid one day during my first six months at the book store, and Effie about had a fit.

" _It's very cute, Katniss,"_ she'd said, _"but not very professional. We do after all have a certain look we wish to project."_

The next day, it was up in a bun, and she never said anything else about it. By now, it's just part of my routine.

"Rough day?" Gale asks from my right.

Without thinking, I lean over until my head in on his shoulder. "Nope," I reply. "Just the same tediousness I've come to expect from this place."

He leans his cheek against my head, and for a second or two, the day seems to melt away.

"Don't be telling lies now, Ms. Katniss Everdeen," Johanna taunts, dropping a cup of black coffee in front of me. "I already told them about your pair of specials."

With a sigh, I sit up straight and grab the sugar dish, dumping a generous amount of the sweet substance into my coffee and stirring it diligently.

"It was just a pair of customers," I insist. "No big deal."

"But this one had her blushing," Johanna adds, much to my dismay.

The blush from earlier returns, but this time, it is because I am attempting not to lose my temper. I've known her too long for anything she says to bother me this much. It's only that she's not wrong, which she usually isn't.

"What was this customer like?" Finnick inquires in an even more teasing tone than usual.

"He was extremely good-looking," Johanna muses. "Blond and blue-eyed with these really broad shoulders, and he looked interested enough in our aspiring night manager here."

At her description, I only shake my head, sipping my coffee silently.

"Your mom will be happy to hear about the staff manager position," Gale says so diplomatically that it's obvious he's avoiding what Johanna said.

"I didn't even know Haymitch was thinking of giving it to me," I shrug.

"But you'd do such a good job," Annie assures me, to which I smile slightly.

She and Gale are usually the ones I can count on to be liberal in their opinions of my love life, nonexistent as it is. Since my father died, I haven't had time to really date, even though Johanna has set me up on plenty of dates to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

"Okay, but about this extremely good-looking customer," Finnick interrupts, steering the conversation back to Peeta. "Maybe he'll come back. What was he here to get?"

"One of Hazelle's books," Johanna answers. "The little girl with him was the one he was buying it for. What was her name, Katniss?"

"Rue," I say automatically, adding, "she was his sister."

Finnick opens his mouth to speak again, but I stop him. "Please talk about something else. When are we having our Christmas party?" I ask Gale.

He glances at Finnick and Annie before answering. "My last day for the season is the 18th. It'll take a couple of days to get everything ready. How about the 20th?"

"Sounds perfect," Johanna grins. "Just the right amount of time for me to find Katniss a date. Will Madge be here by then?"

Gale nods, and she does too, ending the debate.

I'm gulping down the last of my coffee when the booming voice of our main manager breaks up our little group.

"All right, kids," Haymitch calls over us. "Time to close up and shut down for the night. Katniss, can I talk to you for a minute?"

I don't hesitate to follow him away from the others as they clean up, and we're almost at the front of the store before he turns to me.

"Just wanted to let you know our head man is really impressed with your numbers," he informs me without warning. Then he slows down and says, "You're doing a good job, Katniss. So if you do good this month, we'll be looking at moving you into management. Is that something you'd like?"

Despite having the heads up from Johanna, I'm still surprised. "That would be wonderful, Mr. Abernathy," I practically gush.

He waves off my enthusiasm but then pats my shoulder. "You're perfect for the job, kid. I'll see you in the morning."

I nod quickly, and he leaves me there to close up the rest of the store.

When Gale finds me, we walk outside together where his truck is parked next to my car.

"Madge is still asking when you're going to come up to the District Managers Conference with me," he says as we make it to our respective vehicles.

To that, I shrug. "I guess once I'm a Manager, I'll be able to do that."

He smiles the same way I do, his hair the same as mine, as is his skin, which is why people actually do mistake us for siblings.

"Looks that way," he agrees and then gestures for me to get in my car.

I do just that, pulling on my seat belt and turning the engine over, waving as I pull out of my spot. I wait for him to follow me, and we leave the parking lot together to return to our shared neighborhood.

I realize probably halfway home that I've been thinking about Peeta Mellark the entire time.

* * *

 _ **So for a first part, it's not too bad, right? I'm going to write the second part tonight and post it tomorrow. At least by the end of the day.**_

 _ **Happy Christmas Eve, y'all!**_


	2. Christmas Surprise

_**Just in time! Here's part two, and it's a little longer, because I really wanted this first part up here before we got to the second half.**_

 _ **I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Christmas Surprise**_

Over two weeks have passed, and there's been so sign of Peeta Mellark. And no, I haven't been camped out at the entrance to the store hoping to see him anywhere else in the mall. It would be virtually impossible since our entrance is adjacent to the food court and no other store in the building. Johanna hasn't forgotten it either, reminding me of it every chance she gets.

Tonight, we're getting together at Gale's for our Christmas party, and right now, I'm concerned with finding a gift for Annie. I've even taken up nearly all of my lunch break to go in search of it. Too bad my break is almost over, and I'm coming up short.

"Decided what you're wearing to the party tonight yet?"

The voice of our resident fashion consultant, Cinna, flows over from the men's clothing store as I browse through the Capitol Jewelers' store display. I glance back as he arrives, only smirking.

"Shouldn't you be asking Finnick something like that?" I counter.

His green eyes light up the way they always do with me, and he leans over the case with me. "He'll be his usual self. Stylish and casual, even if he's wearing plaid or a sweater with a Christmas tree on it," he teases but not the way Finnick does. Then he leans closer. "If we're speaking privately, I'm still betting on you. Being the best dressed, that is."

I only smile, looking back at the case. "Well, right now, I'm more concerned with finding an appropriate gift for Annie. And I was thinking of something for her Sandy collection. Any suggestions?"

He glances around to make sure it's just us before nodding to the other side of the jewelry store. "Follow me."

From the gold and diamonds we move to the silver and crystal that's just as expensive but much more Annie's style. Last year, I lucked out and got to give Johanna a gift, and she was a hundred times easier to please. Now that Annie and Finnick are engaged, I'm feeling a little more pressure to give her something that won't feel like an engagement gift. Finnick will tease me about it endlessly.

"I happen to be privy to a new shipment of merchandise that the future Mrs. Finnick Odair would be happy to own," Cinna divulges with a coy smile. "These are perfect for her."

The first thing that catches my eyes in the case is a silver seashell necklace with crystals swirled around the face and a beveled chain with a clasp around the loop of the pendant. It's a little fancier than Annie would wear. I know I don't wear much jewelry except what Prim and my mother give me on my birthday and rarely on Christmas. Since the engagement, Annie's really only worn her ring. She needs something to compliment it.

Moving along the case with Cinna, I spot a second seashell necklace, but this one is much smaller and simpler. The chain is more traditional, and the silver shell is its classic curved shape that I'm always seeing around her house when I visit. Plus, the price isn't as high as the previous necklace.

"See something already?" Cinna asks from my side.

The smile on my face must tell him enough as he moves around the counter to open the case with a nearby key. I point to the one I want, and he brings it out for me, still smiling himself.

"Now that is exactly what Ms. Cresta needs," he agrees. "I'll get the gift wrapping out just for you. Don't tell Cashmere I did this for you."

"Oh, you can count on me," I assure him.

Altogether, he has everything ready for me within fifteen minutes, which is good, because it's now time for me to return to the book store. We leave the jewelry store together, and he stops in the middle of the causeway that splits off in two directions.

"Come by my department when you leave the book store," he requests, but I know it's more than that. "I'm going to make you look amazing for the party tonight."

I don't question him, letting him go and stepping off toward the book store with my gift in hand. The only time I've really let myself be pampered is when Cinna dresses me up and does my make up for the Christmas party. He's much more intent on this year than the last few combined. Surely, he'll let me know why later on.

Johanna is finishing up with a customer at the front desk when I come back, and she immediately sees that I have something special with me. She comes out from behind the register as soon as her customer is gone, inundating me with demands.

"What did you get her?" she inquires. "Was it expensive? Did somebody help you pick it out? Can I see it?"

"Oh, good grief, Jo, relax," I call over her own loud voice. "It's already wrapped, so you'll see it tonight. I have to get the new stock out of the back."

She huffs as I walk away, but by the time I come back, she's grinning at another customer who's buying another book at the front desk. It gives me enough of a chance to get to work without worrying that she might stow away in the stock room to see what I hid in my bag.

Because it's the night of our Christmas Party, the store is allowed to close a few hours early, giving us employees a chance to hurry home and change. Finnick stops by to pick up Annie, winking at me as they leave the Children's section and assuring me that I won't ever escape his teasing. But in reality, it's something I'm accustomed to — a lot like Johanna's abrasiveness.

Even after three years, they're as much a part of my family as Gale is, with Prim and my mother, and whether they tease me or not, I hope we all end up doing this for a long time to come.

I'm gathering up my bag and pulling on my coat when Haymitch pokes his head into the stock room.

"You're still here?" he asks.

I meet him at the door, and we leave the corridor to re-enter the store. "I'm leaving now," I promise. "Stopping over at Cinna's so he can pretty me up for the party. You coming later?"

"We'll see, sweetheart," he replies and nudges me on. "You go on and have a good time tonight."

Waving slightly, I leave through the inside entrance of the store, glancing back just once as the lights go off and then heading over to the men's clothing store to see Cinna.

The lights here are turned down in key areas of the store, but I've been to Cinna often enough to know where he's waiting. Despite this being the men's clothing store, the section of the store where Cinna works could be considered a free-for-all. He does just about everything with clothes, hair and make-up back here. A lot of women visit him to have their hair done, and one of his most vocal customers, Effie, swears by his chemical peels. I wouldn't know. He always says my skin and hair are impeccable when he does anything to them.

This part of the store is well-lit and air-conditioned, and Cinna is setting a chair up for me in the front. When I sit down, he immediately goes to work, pulling my hair from its up-do and coaxing it into soft curls. Then he turns me around to do my make-up. He's chattering this whole time, brushing here and swiping there, but all of a sudden, I'm flustered about the party tonight. I remember Johanna teasing me and even Finnick, and just a few hours earlier, Cinna declared himself to make me look amazing for a simple gathering of family and friends.

They know something I don't. It's the only thing that makes sense.

Inwardly, I hope Johanna hasn't decided to attempt pairing me up with someone of her choosing.

Cinna twirls me around once he's done, and I see the masterpiece he's worked yet again.

"You look simply amazing," he gushes, "just as I promised you would. Come with me. I have clothes for you pick from over this way."

I follow him without arguing, trusting him more than I would anyone with this much control over my appearance. In the end, I select a green silk tunic and dark blue jeans with soft brown hunter-style boots, and while I think I'll be allowed to go home and change, Cinna insists I change now so he can add matching jewelry.

There's definitely something going on.

By the time I'm allowed to leave the mall, it's time to go to Gale's, so I call Prim and my mother so they can meet me there. Cinna has clad me in a gold chain with golden feathers tinkling from its links and a gold pair of dangling arrow earrings. He's mentioned nothing about how much this will cost, but I'm sure there will be something to be said tomorrow when I return to work.

The green-glowing clock in my car reminds me that it's nearly eight o'clock when I get inside, and it's still ten minutes to Gale's house. Whatever Johanna and Finnick and Cinna planned clearly included me being late, which worries me a lot.

Traffic isn't too heavy, considering it's Thursday and the mall is still open. My little old car putters along with just enough of a lurch that my jitters subside for the duration of my journey. Then I pull into the driveway of Gale's two-story, rustic-looking lodge of a house he's had for nearly two years. I guess I'll know this high life of his if I actually get the manager's position at the book store.

A red truck I don't recognize is parked on the street behind Johanna's green SUV, and it confirms my suspicions. I'm bracing myself for the worst before I even make it to the door with Annie's gift in hand.

Through the front door, there's a definitive contrast between inside and outside as I'm enveloped in complete warmth. I pull my coat off as I close the door, and two dark blond little heads run passed me from the kitchen to the living room that's already fully decked out with Christmas decorations.

"Hey, Aunt Katniss!" they yell gleefully, disappearing just as quickly.

I try not to frown as the woman of the house comes out of the dining room to greet me.

"Katniss, you made it," Madge exclaims, kissing my cheek and leaning back to look at my outfit. "You look amazing!"

She dressed the opposite of me, in cream-colored pants and sweater with her golden blond hair curly and pinned away from her face. She's glowing as usual.

"I'll tell Cinna," I say, nodding. "Can I help with anything?"

Grasping my free hand, she tugs me toward the living room. "We're actually almost ready. Why don't you go sit in the living room with everyone else? And put that gift under the tree!"

She releases me and swiftly retreats back into the dining room, leaving me at the archway of the living room.

"Katniss!"

For the third time, someone yells excitedly, but this time, when I turn to it, I spot Johanna by the tree with a very unexpected, but welcome guest.

"Come say hi to Peeta," she basically demands with a devilish grin.

Around the kids, Finnick and Annie and after spotting Prim and my mother on the sofa, I cross the room to where I'm beckoned, faced with Peeta Mellark in a way I never have with any other guy ever.

He looks even more casually-dressed now than I saw himlast, clad in a blue cable-knit sweater and blue jeans. Even in the dim light of the room, his blue eyes twinkle with the lights of the tree.

Johanna thrusts her cup of cider in my hand and pats my arm. "Madge probably needs me in the kitchen. You two kids talk!"

Her shrill command aside, when I look at Peeta again, he looks nearly as uncomfortable as I am, but he recovers more quickly than I do.

"Rue hasn't stopped talking about that book," he says within a couple of seconds. "Or you."

Blushing, I hold my breath, worried I'll say something I'll regret.

"Your friends say you've worked in the book store a few years," he continues. "Do you like it?"

I nod. "I do," I answer automatically.

He laughs nervously. "Well, you're good at it," he compliments, slipping his hands into his pockets.

I find myself staring at his shoulders and realizing that Johanna was right. They are really broad.

"So," he says, and I look at him again. "Who's going to admit how awkward this is so we can talk about something else?"

I nod again. "This is _very_ awkward," I agree. Without waiting for him, I keep going. "I was worried about this, because they were all acting strange today. It's okay if you didn't want to come. My friends kind of think I need to have a love life as active as theirs." I pause, blushing even more. "And I can't believe I just said that."

His laugh this time isn't as nervous, and he steps a little closer. "Oh, I can understand that. My brothers are the same way. They were actually surprised when I told them what I was doing tonight."

"Which was?"

Bowing his head, he admits, "Going to a party to see a very pretty girl they didn't know. And they teased me about all day too."

Something in his eyes when he looks at me makes me think I shouldn't be so nervous anymore, and my hand finds his forearm on its own. "So I need new friends and you need new brothers," I conclude, and he laughs a third time.

"Sounds like it," he concurs.

My nerves melt away slowly, and I think enough to put Johanna's cup down before I lead him out of the living room to the dining room which is blessedly vacant.

"If Rue really likes Hazelle's book," I say as I walk, "she'll have a new book out in the spring."

"Oh, she loves them," he gushes. "Since we got the first ones last year, she's basically become obsessed with them. Thresh and I gave her two of them for her birthday, and our parents bought the others before she started school a few months ago."

We sit at the table together, and I find myself curious about something else.

"So her brothers are you and Thresh?" I ask. "How many brothers do you have?"

"Oh, I have two older brothers," he explains. "Our mother and father divorced when I was young, but he met Rue and Thresh's mother when she was a baby. Their dad was killed in the military. We were all pretty much in bad shape, but something unexpected brought us together to make us a family. So I'm just her step-brother, but I've been her brother since she was a baby."

"But that's amazing! It seems like you love each other a lot."

He nods. "We do. Tell me about your family. Johanna only mentioned your mother and sister, but it seems like you've got quite an extended family here."

When he says that, I happen to glance into the living room where Finnick and Annie are watching me. Johanna comes through the front entrance of the house, winking, and I can only shake my head at them. To respond to what he says, I simply say, "I do."

Madge and Gale bring food into the dining room within a few minutes, filling the table and prompting me to get up and help despite her attempts to stop me. Even after that, I manage to find the chair next to Peeta again, steering him through our staggered serving and catching my mother and Prim staring now like everyone else. The ham and turkey is exquisite like it has been since Gale got married and started turning the food over to his wife. But there's also mashed potatoes, greens, gravy and dressing, along with a few things I don't usually eat.

Along with this is a fresh-baked loaf of honey oat bread that couldn't have possibly come from Madge's oven. She's more of a strawberry shortcake kind of girl.

"Oh, Katniss, have some bread," Prim encourages. "Peeta brought two loaves that he made himself."

Impressed, I do just that, snatching up two slices and grinning as he glances at me.

That explains his strong hands at least. I wonder what else there is to know about Peeta Mellark. With this nice surprise, I find that I want to know more than anything.

After dinner, we all move back into the living room to open Christmas gifts, and while Johanna doesn't demand that I sit next to Peeta, she suggests it very strongly. To be diplomatic, because I did just have my first conversation with him, I take the arm chair next to the couch where he sits with the kids and helps them divvy out the presents. Because I want to make sure that I'm the one who gives Annie her gift, I find it myself and take it to her personally.

"A friend we both know and love helped me pick this out for you," I reveal. "I hope you like it."

She doesn't wait, threading her fingers around the paper to tear into the little package, and I kneel beside her as she unwraps the box and flips it open. The look on her face is exactly the one I was hoping to see, and she leans over the put her arm around me.

"It's lovely, Katniss," she gushes. "And perfect."

She squeezes me and I do the same before rising to return to my chair. That's when Johanna plunks a moderately-sized square box in my lap.

"Here you go, brainless!"

She's loud enough for everyone to hear, and I'm actually worried she may be drunk. Despite this, I unwrap it about the same as Annie did and open the box to find a larger than usual snow globe inside of a very random winter scene. But at the bottom is an engraved gold tag that identifies me as its owner. With a little something I'm not expecting.

 _Katniss Everdeen. Employee of the Season._

When I look at her, she leans over the hug me, which isn't like her at all. "It was Haymitch's idea," she reveals. "Looks like we really will have a new staff manager next month, huh?"

That's all she says before pulling away and sitting in the floor with another cup of what is assuredly alcohol in her hands.

Only a short time is allowed for me to accept this, because after all the presents are opened, the kids want their Aunt Katniss to read to them. I guess this is what makes me an awesome aunt, because I happen to know every word to their favorite book.

The night's winding down close to eleven when Madge directs the kids upstairs to bed. My mother and Prim have disappeared into the kitchen to clean up, and Finnick is guiding Annie out the front door. He gives me a thumbs up as they leave, allowing me no time for an appropriate rebuttal. Johanna has passed out on the sofa, and Peeta is picking up the wrapping paper from under the tree, even though I'm sure someone told him he didn't have to. This allows me and Gale to collect the dishes from the table to carry them to the kitchen.

"He's nice," Gale says with a nod. "Seems good with the kids too. Madge was really impressed when he brought the bread."

I listen to Gale until we walk through the swinging door to the kitchen. "Of course he's nice," I agree. "He's not anyone Johanna picked out for me or foisted me toward on a blind date."

"So you met him in the book store?" he asks.

"Yeah," I nod and deposit the dishes in the sink. "He was in there with his little sister buying one of Hazelle's books."

"Oh, I like him more already," Gale declared. "And Mom will love him for doing that."

With that, I slouch into the counter, exhausted from the entire day.

"Katniss, honey, if you're tired, go on home," my mother urges. "Prim and I will be along when this kitchen is clean."

Gale doesn't allow me to argue, taking me under his arm and walking me out of the kitchen. "You probably have to be at the store early tomorrow," he says, agreeing with my mother easily.

"You'll come by tomorrow night?" I ask him, and he nods. I lean up and kiss his cheek as he kisses mine. "Good night."

He turns to leave as I grab my coat, and I'm pulling it on when Peeta brings the trash bag of wrapping paper in from the living room.

"Hey, you leaving?"

I nod, already feeling the hunch in my shoulders deepen. "I've got work in the morning, and I'll have new boxes to open because we're getting ready for our Christmas sale."

I turn to the door, but he speaks before I can open it.

"Well, hold on, and I'll walk you out."

He moves quicker than I do, carrying the trash bag into the kitchen and thanking Gale for dinner before he returns to me and lifts his own coat from the rack by the door.

I usually leave Gale's house by myself or with Prim and my mother, because it's usually late, and I just live a few blocks away. Tonight, though, it feels good to not be leaving alone, even if it is with someone I've just essentially met.

"So I'll tell Rue about the new book," he says as we walk. "She'll be excited. About that and seeing you."

Since I mentioned it, I follow up my offer from earlier with another one. "Even if it's just Christmas soon, she can pre-order a copy at the front desk. That way, she can have it waiting for her when it comes out."

"She'll probably want to do that first thing the morning after I tell her. She'll also want to see you again. You made quite an impression on her. And maybe that way, I'll get to see you too."

We make it to my car before I reply. "I'd love to see her too. But surely, we'll all see each other before then," I say, well, hope really.

For a few seconds, I think I've said too much. I'm not usually good at talking to people I don't know, but with Peeta, it seems to be getting easier with every passing hour.

"I'd like that," he says to my relief, adding, "We both would. I know she'll be glad I did this. She probably got on me a million times for not getting your number that day."

I'm grinning like an idiot again without saying a single word, and he saves me from making a complete moron of myself by reaching for my door to open it.

"Well, you should get home if you have to work in the morning," he insists. I slide into the car, and he closes the door to lean over and look at me. "And I will definitely see you before Christmas. Get a good night's sleep."

"I will," I assure him. "And I look forward to seeing you again, Peeta. You and Rue."

"Likewise, Katniss. Good night."

I wave back, and he steps back from the car to give me room to back out.

Even though, I'm sitting in my old car that's gotten cold in Gale's driveway, I find that the warmth from inside has followed me, but it's not the same as a fireplace heating a house. It's deeper than that, and much longer lasting.

It's not until I'm pulling into my own driveway that I decide it must be Peeta. I also realize that I didn't get his phone number or give him mine, but he does know where I work, and I'm sure Johanna still has it pocketed somewhere.

The next time I see Peeta Mellark, I'll make a point of asking for it myself, and who knows? Maybe next month will be one of the best I've had since I started working at the book store. Maybe this Christmas will be one of the best since my father died. Maybe tomorrow will be more than just the start of a new day.

It'll be a new beginning. And that's what Christmas is about, right?

* * *

 _ **Thinking about maybe a third part, but for now, I think this is good.  
**_

 _ **I tried to make it feel Christmas-y, but also with The Hunger Games family. It's not too corny, is it?**_

 _ **Anyway, Here's to a Happy New Year! Until next time.**_


End file.
